The Truth: A Profound Witness Against The “Just World Belief”
In a world filled with opinions and a constant bombardment of information, how do we know what is true and what is a lie? We have fast paced technologies at our fingertips and instead of researching to see if it’s true, we just take it as an absolute. This week during my morning prayer time, the Lord led me to a passage in the book of Luke that practically jumped off the page. As I read it, I realized that the same worldly viewpoints we are dealing with today, were dealt with in Jerusalem by the ultimate truthteller and life giver, Jesus Christ. Rather than listening to everything that is posted online or said in the world, here at Crowning Glory Hair Studio, we choose to listen to and believe the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life.
The “just world belief” was coined by a psychologist in the 1960’s named Melvin Lerner. He observed that many of the people who worked alongside of him while dealing with his mentally ill patients, blamed them for their problems. Once Lerner recognized this, he began to widen his research on the phenomenon with issues such as war, police brutality, rape, and other forms of violence and destruction. He found that in order for people to accept the fact that others were suffering, they had to place the blame on the victim rather than accepting the fact that there are other outside systemic and contextual factors in human suffering. Thus, Lerner coined the phenomenon the “just world belief” citing that, “people use strategies to eliminate threats to the idea of their belief in a just world.” An example of non-rational strategies includes denial, withdrawal, and reinterpretation of the event. One way of reinterpreting an event would be to interpret the victim who is suffering as someone who deserves it. Or in other words, blaming the victim.
How often have we heard these statements just in this last week alone? “Well that’s what happens!”, “What goes around comes around!” or “He deserved it!” We’ve heard these comments so often and so casually it’s almost like second nature to us. But the truth is not in these statements or in the just world belief. The truth is in the Bible where Jesus talks about this exact thing.
In Luke 13:1-9 Jesus confronts this LIE head-on:
At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He asked them, “Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way that they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did.”
You see, we are all guilty of sin. All deserving of death and punishment for what we’ve done. But instead, God granted us mercy when He sent His sinless and blameless son to die in our place, creating for us a way back to Him through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Did Jesus deserve to die on the cross at the cost of what we’ve done? Absolutely not. Yet, in our lack of mercy, we have no problem blaming others who don’t deserve it. We want penance for what other people have said or done to us, or even death for someone who’s beliefs don’t line up with ours. The idea of a just world is only based on lofty opinions, self-serving comforts and a total lack of compassion. Most of all, it’s a sure sign of a heart that’s cold and lacks love and mercy.
I encourage you to do as Paul instructs us to do in Romans: “Do not copy the behavior and customs of this world but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Do not listen to the lies of this world. And do not adopt its beliefs. In Christlike fashion, love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you. And in that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven, who gives His sunlight to both the evil and the good, and sends His rain on the just and the unjust. And that my friend, is not just some belief the world gives you…it’s the absolute TRUTH.
At Crowning Glory Hair Studio, our hope is that every client who walks through our doors feels the love, mercy, and truth of Christ reflected not only in our words, but in the way we serve. May we each continue to reject the lies of a “just world” and instead stand firm in the truth of God’s Word—living with compassion, extending grace, and shining His light in a world desperate for hope.